17-11-1943. 6.pm. Richard Wessel
After 5 days of bitter fighting German
troops got hold of Leros so that we
lost it. Out troops in the island have
been under constant heavy bombardments.
The island is some 8 miles
long and nowhere wider than 6
miles. It has no airfield but can
be used as a naval base for small
craft. Last Friday German sea-
and airborne troops were
landed. The Germans had the
advance of close-range bombing
constantly and the enemy had
local air superiority.
Targets near Marseilles were
bombed and also the airfield of
Rhodes. Owing to the German
occupation of Leros the
position of our garrison on Samos
has become much weaker. Greek
parachute troops have now
arrived to reinforce our troops there.
Beyond the Fortresses attacking
Marseilles our Merodas escorted
by Lightnings carried out attacks as
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